Booking of Hotels | Comparison Site or Direct?
The booking of hotels has always got people a little perplexed sometimes, as there are a great deal of websites out there. But is it best to go direct?
I have read an article online, which states that UK travellers could save a staggering £20 million a year by booking their hotels direct with the company! With around 87% of people believing that the comparison sites will show ALL of the available rates for the hotels.
The IHG Rewards Club, which is the loyalty programme for the InterContinental Hotels Group, have carried out research which shows an estimated 10% savings for British travellers if they decided to book their hotels directly via the hotels own website.
I found this a little hard to believe that so many of us may be duped in to thinking we are getting the best price available for a certain hotel, and decided to do some research myself. This is what I have discovered:
Hotel : The Luxor, Las Vegas
Date of Stay : August 6th 2016 until August 13th 2016
Details : 1 Room, 2 Adults
Room Type : Pyramid Deluxe
- Website 1 : Hotels.com
- Price : £430 ($623), with $204 due at the hotel.
- Total Cost : £571 / $827
- Website 2 : Travelsupermarket.com
- Price : £385 ($557), with $249 extra (12% Tax and Resort Fee)
- Total Cost : £557 / $806
- Website 3 : Trivago.com - Booking with Travel Republic (due to best price)
- Price : £391 ($566) - No mention of tax or resort fees, so added myself @ $258)
- Total Cost : £569 / $824
- Website 4 : DIRECT - Luxor.com
- Price : £600 / $868 - TOTAL
Conclusion:
From my research, there seems little variation in prices across the 3 "comparison" websites, with the most expensive cost when you book direct. What you also have to factor in to the equation, is that a lot of these 3rd party websites offer extra incentives for you to book with them - which is always a bonus!
The one advantage I did find from booking direct with the hotel itself, is that you have the option to pay a small deposit, and then the final balance when you arrive at the hotel - which for many will be a great thing to do, as it saves a large chunk of cash being taken from your accounts!
Booking of Hotels - Always shop around and make up your own mind! Personally, I would always check the hotel price directly, and then search just 1 of the comparison sites. The prices are not that different.
and see which hotel will suit you!
